Device for the automatic return of doors and the like pivoting members



Ja: 27, 1953 H. J. M. LAMBERT ET AL 2,526,420

DEVICE FOR THE AUTOMATIC RETURN OF DOORS AND THE LIKE PIVOTING MEMBERSFiled April 13, 1949 i v .5 F z l g 1 E 73 a 75 I .15 7 1 i5 w a 2 .f c4 xx 7 isa Patented Jan. 27, 1953 DEVICE FOR THE AUTOMATIC RETURN OFDOORS AND THE LIKE PIVOTING MEMBERS Henri Jacques Marc Lambert, Sevres,and Georges Paul Mongin, Saint-Gratien, France Application April 13,1949, Serial No. 87,172

In France February 23, 1949 6 Claims.

Doors, whatever applications they are intended for, are normally mountedon hinges so as to allow their pivoting round a vertical axis. Differenttypes of spring operated devices have been produced for returning saiddoors into a closed or open position. In certain of said arrangementsthere are used so-called tumbler switches as applicable for the controlof electric circuits, said switch systems including a lever pivotallysecured to a spindle and controlled by a compression, tractional or thelike spring the stationary bearing point of which and the bearing pointof which on the pivoting lever are arranged in a manner such thatstarting from a medial position of unstable equilibrium the lever isurged back by said spring in either direction until one of two stablepositions against a corresponding stop is reached.

In known spring-urged devices used for returning doors into normalposition, this tumbler system is stationary and its lever controls thedoor directly or through the agency of pivoting links. The suitablemedial position of the lever of the tumbler corresponds to a dooropening at about 45. To either side of this medial position, the tumblersystem carries the door along either towards its closed position ortowards an open position at about 90 of its closed position.

This connection of the tumbler lever with the door either directly orthrough the agency of links shows as a first serious drawback that ofpreventing the opening of the door throughout the angular stroke allowedfor its operation as a door and also of preventing it from beingcompletely collapsed in the surface containing it without projectingoutwardly beyond the surface of the piece of furniture or wall carryingit, after a travel of generally 180 or even through a larger angle ifthe hinges are located on a projecting angle of the piece of furnitureor of the wall.

Furthermore, with such a system, any fortuitous stress that urges thedoor further open than is allowed by thearrangement and the associatedlinks leads to a deformation of the latter that serve as stops for theopening of the door and can only be of reduced size and housed near thepivotal axis of the door for reasons of bulk and aesthetic appearance. 7

Our invention has for its object to remove such drawbacks in a verysimple, elegant and economical manner.

It is applicable to the control of doors, trap doors, closing means andthe like that are pivotally secured to pieces of furniture, partitions,walls or the like supporting members.

The arrangement according to the invention is chiefly remarkable throughthe .fact that the (Cl. Iii- 79) door or the like pivoting elementincludes a member cooperating with a corresponding part forming part 01'the actual tumbler, the action of said parts on one another being anintermittent one and the points at which the common action of thesemembers begins and finishes are defined through a pivoting angle of thedoor or similar element with reference to the stationary element towhich it is pivotally secured.

Thus the door or the like member is connected with the tumbler system nolonger throughout the angular stroke allowed for its operation as a doorbut only for a predetermined angular stroke that is the sum of a firstangle which may be termed the spring closing angle during which thetumbler lever starting from its unstable medial position drives the doorup to its position of closure and holds it against its stop and of asecond angle or cocking angle during which the tumbler lever moving inthe opposite direction starting from its medial unstable position drivesthe door until said'lever abuts in its turn against a stop correspondingto its cocked position, the door being then entirely released beyondsaid cocking point with reference to the tumbler device during theremainder of its possible movements allowed for its operation as a door.

According to a further essential feature of the invention, theconnection between the lever of the tumbler and the door is providedthrough a first mechanical member such as a cylindrical projection, aroller, a suitable cam, gear teeth or the like carried on the tumblerlever or on the door and meshing preferably without any play, for thesystem of two operative angles of rotation of the door disclosed in thepreceding paragraph, with a second member forming a suitable counterpartfor the former and carried on the opposite part, that is on the door oron the lever of the tumbler, according to the case, the mutual drive ofthe door through the lever and of the lever through the door beingprovided through a sliding contact between the two abovementionedmechanical members, the arrangement of said members being such that theengagement is at an end when the tumbler lever rests on the cocking stopand the door thus released continues its opening movement beyond thecocking point.

Preferably, the connection between the tumbler lever and the door isprovided through the engagement between two toothed sectors that providea better continuity of the mutual driving engagement between the leverand the door during their travel through the two above mentionedoperative angles.

Further features of my invention will appear in the reading of thefollowing description.

In the accompanying drawing there have been illustrated solely by way ofexample various embodiments of the arrangement according to theinvention. In said drawing:

Fig. 1 illustrates .by way of example a door controlled by a tumblersystem with a compression spring, the connection being performed throughinterengaging toothed sectors.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a modified tumbler system with atractionalspring.

Fig. 3 illustrates a connection through a forked tumbler lever engaginga roller carried on the door.

Fig. 4 shows reversely the forked lever mounted on the door and acylindrical projection secured to the tumbler lever.

In the example illustrated in Fig. l, the pivoting door is hinged roundthe axis XX which may be a pintle rigid for instance with a piece offurniture I through the agency of a hinge 2 secured to the side '3 ofsaid piece of furniture that is illustrated as stationary.

To the door issecureda toothedsector dhaving for its axis the verticalprojection of the axis XX.

To the side 3 of the piece of furniture is-secured a tumbler system 5including a tumbler lever B pivoting round a spindle I mountedin thecasing I2 which will be presently described. To the lever 6 is pivotallysecured at 8a a link 9 surrounded by a compression spring I bearing atII against the casing I2 of the tumbler system 5.

The lever B is illustrated initsoperative cocked position for which itabuts against the stop. .13. The pivot 8a on the lever enters theposition 13b for the unstable medial position of the tumbler system andthe position .80 for the .closedposition of the door.

At the periphery of the lever B is arranged a toothed sector I4 havingas a center the pivot point 1 and meshing .with the toothed sector 4rigid with the door.

In order to allow the movements :of the door I to be understood, I haveshown in Fig. 1 different positions of an arrow passing through the axisX-X, parallel with the plane of the door and carried along by it in itsmovements. The door I5 being pivotally secured to the piece of furnitureover a projecting ledge thereof may be completely folded over the outerside of the piece of furniture as shown in dot and dash lines at I6,that is for a complete opening through 2'70. Starting from thislatterposition, .the arrow moves with the door out .ofthe position I'fidwhen the door is being closed, and there is no connection with thetumbler system :during such a rockingmovement until the arrow reachesthe angular position Ilia. ;Consequently the door is completely freeduring the rotation of the door through the angle I1. When the arrowarrives at I-Ga, the first tooth of the sector-.4 bears against thecorresponding tooth of the sector I4 :rigid with the tumbler lever .6illustrated in its inoperative cocking position for whichitis in contactwith the stop I3 under the pressure of the spring ID that .urges thelever angularl'y in an anti-clockwise direction.

When pushing the door by hand through an angle I8 so as to bring thearrow into the angular position I6b, the lever 6 is now carried alongand compresses the spring I0 into an unstable mean position, the pivotalconnection thereof to lever B passing from the positionla into theposition 822 in alignment with the line I8b-I I of unstable equilibrium.

Now if the door is urged slightly further in the same direction, theaction of the spring III becomes a driving one and urges said pivotalconnection beyond 8b towards 8c, the sector I4 driving in its turn thesector 4 and consequently the door I5 that closes automatically throughan angle I9 until it bears against its own stop 20, the indicating arrowentering the position I60.

The opposite cycle of operations will be readily understood according towhich the opening of the door is obtained by drawing it out from I50 toI61) against the compression of the spring I0, said pivotal connectionpassing then from to 81). .From this moment onwards the lever 6continues advancing under the action of the spring I0 until it bearsagainst the stop I3 while the door is caused to move from I6b to lfia.The tumbler remains in its cocked angular position imparted .to it asdefined by the angle 2I .between the unstable equilibrium line 'I--8b--I I .and theradius'leading from 1 to Sc, 'and'the door may .now rockfreely throughout the angle II without acting in any manner on thetumbler device and independently thereof.

Fig. 2 shows a modification of the tumbler device including a'tractionalspring engaging the stationary point IIa, the said pivotal connectionbeing locatedin this case beyond the pivoting point I with reference toII, (Fig. .1') .in order to obtain an unstable position at 8b on theline II--'I and cocked .positionsyat .8a and 8c corresponding to theengagement of door I 5 with stop 29 andlever 6 with stop I3respectively.

Fig. .3 shows by way of example a further modification, in which aroller 22 is mounted on a spindle 23 rigid with the door 15. Thisspindle is mounted on 'a suitable support secured to the door. 'Thelever 6 showsat its end facing the door a fork with a recess .24cooperating with the roller 22. The lever and the door are illustratedin solid lines in the position corresponding to the solid lines of .Fig.1 at the moment at which the roller begins to engage or. to disengagethe fork. It will be noticed that the arm 25 of this fork is shaped soas to allow the release of "the door for an opening thereof through alarger angle. The lever B is illustrated in dot and dash lines for theposition of the :door in its closed position.

Fig. 4 illustrates the opposite modification for which the fork 6 iscarried by the door through the intermediary of ,a suitable support 66and the roller by the lever.

Obviously our invention is by no means limited to the embodimentsdisclosed and illustrated that have been given out solely by way .ofexamples.

What we claim is:

1. In a door closer for a door hingedly secured to a piece of furnitureor wall or the like stationary member, the provision of a tumbler systemincluding a-pivot on the member to be closed by the door parallel to thepivoting axis of the door. a lever pivotally carried by said pivot,spring means associated with said lever for urging said lever away froma neutral position of alignment to either side thereof, a stop forengaging and thereby limiting the movement of the lever beyond apredetermined point on one side of the neutral position, a stoparresting the movement of the door in its closed position andconsequently of the lever for a predetermined position of said lever onthe side of its neutral position opposed to the first mentioned stop andinterengaging means on the door and lever, through which the angularmovement of the door between predetermined limits corresponding to thestops provides for the rocking of the lever to either side of itsneutral position, the action of the interengaging members on one anotherceasing when the lever meets the first mentioned stop.

2. A door closer according to claim 1 in which said interengaging meanscomprises two members one of said members being disposed for movementwith said door and the other of said members being disposed for movementwith said lever, one of said members comprising at least two spacedprojecting teeth and the other of said members comprising at least oneprojection engaged by said teeth and movable therebetween.

3. In a door closer for a door hingedly secured to a piece of furnitureor wall or the like stationary member, the provision of a tumbler systemincluding a pivot on the member to be closed by the door parallel to thepivoting axis of the door, a lever pivotally carried by said pivot, arod pivotally secured to one end of said lever and a spring associatedwith said rod and adapted to urge the rod and lever away from a neutralposition of alignment to either side thereof, a stop limiting themovement of the lever beyond a predetermined point on one side of theneutral position, a stop arresting the movement of the door in itsclosed position and consequently of the lever for a predeterminedposition of said lever on the side of its neutral position opposed tothe first mentioned stop and interengaging means on the door and lever,through which the angular movement of the door between its closingposition and a predetermined limit corresponding to the first mentionedstop provides for the rocking of the lever through a comparatively largeangle until it reaches its neutral position and then through a smallerangle beyond said neutral position up to a limit position for which theinterengaging means are no longer operative and the door is allowed toswing freely through a path of predetermined amplitude.

4. In a door closer for a door hingedly secured to a piece of furnitureor wall or the like stationary member, the provision of a tumbler systemincluding a pivot on the member to be closed by the door parallel to thepivoting axis of the door, a lever pivotally carried by said pivot, arod pivotally secured to one end of said lever and a spring associatedwith said rod end adapted to urge the rod and lever away from a neutralposition of alignment to either side thereof, a stop limiting themovement of the lever beyond a predetermined point on one side of theneutral position, a stop arresting the movement of the door in itsclosed position and consequently of the lever for a predeterminedposition of said lever on the side of its neutral position opposed tothe first mentioned stop and interengaging arcuate toothed elementsrigid with the door and lever respectively and adapted to provide for anangular movement of the door between predetermined limits correspondingto the stops in unison with the rocking of the lever to either side ofits neutral position, the action of the interengaging members on oneanother ceasing when the lever meets the first mentioned stop.

5. In a door closer for a door hingedly secured to a piece of furniture,a wall or like stationary member, the provision of a tumbler systemlocated in the angular space determined by the pivotal movement of thedoor in the direct proximity of the pivoting axis thereof and includinga pivot on the member to be closed by the door parallel to the pivotingaxis of this latter, a lever member pivotally carried by said pivot, arod pivotally secured thereto, stop means determining two angular limitpositions of said lever and a recoil means associated with said rod andadapted to positively urge the rod and lever away from a neutralposition of alignment to either side thereof, and interengaging meansrigidly mounted on the door and lever consisting of two arcuate toothedmembers through which the angular movement of the door betweenpredetermined limits corresponding to the said two positions of thelever to both sides of the said neutral position provides for therocking of said lever, the action of the interengaging members on oneanother ceasing when the lever attains one of said two limit positions.

6. A door closer according to claim 2, in which said two members consistof meshing gear sectors.

HENRI JACQUES MARC LAMBERT. GEORGES PAUL MONGIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 847,909 Conklin Mar. 19, 19071,831,800 Bales et al Nov. 17, 1931 2,016,519 Schmidt Oct. 8, 19352,028,424 Van Dillen Jan. 21, 1936 2,032,078 Adams Feb. 25, 1936

